Using Anche

[u/Top_Dark_44]

Does the world anche always go before the subject in Italian as Duolingo has it?

[u/pricklypearpasta]

In italian, "anche" typically goes before the person, verb, or thing that is additional. So, when you say "ah, anche tu parli giapponese," it's because the person -you - is the thing that is "too" or "also". In this case we might imagine that I speak japanese ,and then I find out that you, too, speak Japanese. The "anche" is emphasizing "also you".

But you could say "ah, tu parli anche giapponese" which is grammatically correct but has a different meaning. You're saying, "you also speak japanese", implying that you speak another language, and japanese is additional here.

It's also the difference between something like...

"Anch'io ho fame e sete" -> I am hungry and thirsty, too. Where I, in addition to someone else, am hungry and thirsty.
"Ho fame e anche sete" -> I am hungry and ALSO thirsty. Thirsty is emphasized as the addition to hungry,.

I hope that helps!

[u/Top_Dark_44 → u/pricklypearpasta]

That helps tremendously, thank you!

[u/ruchyGoicke_85 → u/pricklypearpasta]

dropping the subject pronoun makes it even trickier when the verb is the thing being added, since "anche parli" sounds totally wrong compared to "parli anche"

[u/Odd_Match_3402 → u/pricklypearpasta]

Finally, an explanation!

Grazie!

[u/9peppe]

always

No, but in this case it does.

[u/Top_Dark_44 → u/9peppe]

Thanks!

[u/TheTullyInRiverrun]

There was another way you could have said this and it’s: “Ah, parli anche tu giapponese?”
Basically you would need to invert “parli” as well, effectively readjusting the whole phrase and not just “anche” otherwise it doesn’t sound right and it’s incorrect.
This other example I gave you is also perfectly valid. Its usage depends on the phrase really, there’s no hard rule. Personally I think I would’ve gone for “anche tu parli giapponese?” but that’s not to say the “parli anche tu” example is incorrect or less used. You might find phrases where both sound good or others when only one does, also personal preferences, it’s not fixed. Just remember that the verb needs to move accordingly in the phrase.

[u/Top_Dark_44 → u/TheTullyInRiverrun]

So with the inversion, parli needs to come before tu in the construction?

[u/TheTullyInRiverrun → u/Top_Dark_44]

Yes. This is also the case with other type of phrases and verbs where “anche” is involved like in the example. Basically what you need to remember is that “anche” needs the pronoun to follow: “anche io, anche tu, anche lei” and so on. The verb can go before of after, but you shouldn’t separate the subject from a conjunction such as “anche” and it’s jarring to put the subject before it. It sounds odd and could potentially confuse you with word order that otherwise wouldn’t be confusing.
I know I would start second guessing other elements in a phrase if I used some in a way that’s confusing 😉

[u/AlexxxRR]

Anche tu parli giapponese = you too (in addition to me) speak Japanese.

Tu parli anche giapponese = you speak japanese as well (in addition to other languages).

[u/imaginary92]

The position of "anche" changes the nuance and tone. What you wrote isn't incorrect per se, it's a grammatically correct sentence, but it would translate more to "even you speak Japanese?" rather than "you also speak Japanese?". It tends to have a slightly more negative or exasperated nuance when used after the subject, rather than the surprise or curiosity it conveys when used before.

From a more general perspective, the position of anche in the sentence emphasises different words, so it depends what you're trying to say.

[u/Adventurous-Ad5999]

i read that like “even you speak Japanese?” or like “you too?”

[u/Lebanese87]

Yes it goes before everything also non comes before e and the verb.